Lost
by Pixil Pixi
Summary: What if the dragonborn hadn't helped Cicero? What if it had been someone else? Liesl is just a young thief looking for info on her deceased family when she runs into Cicero on the road. Their meeting leads Liesl onto an adventure she will never forget.


*(sounds like lee-sal/lee-zal [or lethal] moon-sugar)

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_'Liesl* Moon-Sugar'_

A young brown haired woman laughed lightly under her breath as the only name she had ever known ran across her mind. She bitterly sipped some of the mead that she held in her right hand. She was currently within the Ragged Flagon Cistern, laying on her back, staring up through the ceiling of the the large, circular, room. She wore the standard thieves guild armor, customized to look fit for a female. Her white hair, a certain condition she has always had since she was a small child, laid strewn out on the ground as she stared up at the night sky. The moonlight bathed over her body, giving the blood red tattoo, that looked like a two-clawed animal has slashed her left eye, on her face an ominous glow. The woman sighed and swallowed another sip of her sweet alcoholic drink.

"Leisl, how many times do I have to tell you not to lye there? What are you going to do when it starts to rain?" Brynjolf's voice resounded through the Cistern. Upon hearing Brynjolf's voice, Liesl lazily glanced over at him and gave him a small shrug.

"Lay here and get wet." She responded and chuckled at her joke, obviously her humor had that of a perverted nature.

Brynjolf rolled his eyes at her, but allowed a small smile to adorn his face for a moment. However, it disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced on his face. He approached Liesl, a sorrow filled look in his eyes.

"Look, Liesl, I'm tired of seeing you this way. You've been moping all week in this same exact spot, only moving to eat, grab more mead, and to go relieve yourself." he said putting an arm on her shoulder and continued, " you've been this was ever since you found out that Mercer wasn't your blood father and that Liesl Moon-Sugar is not your real name. This needs to stop. It's not healthy for you." he finished. Liesl stared up at him, her blank expression falling into one of self pity and sorrow. She adverted her eyes.

"It's not that easy Brynjolf. You guys have been my family for as long as I can remember.. Now...Now I don't even know who I am. Who am I Brynjolf? Where did I come from? What is my real name? I need to know. I'm lost. I thought I belonged here.. But I need to know where I came from. I'm not like Rune. I need to know, need to find out. I just can't go on living a lie." her voice follows with a loneliness and longing that only an orphan could know. Brynjolf's eyes softened on her pitiful figure. He glanced off into the distance.

"It was a long time ago Liesl. About 21 years to be exact. I was in my 20s, and a new member to the guild..." his voice trailed off, Liesl's attention now rested fully on the thief. "It was dark and stormy. The weather had been bad all day that day in Riften. I remember what I was doing exactly... I was sittig on my bed, reading a book on shadowmarks. Just trying to memorize all of them, I was told that they would come in handy greatly. Which they did." he started. Liesl listened in apprehension, " Mercer had clumsily walked into the room holding a little red bundled blanket. At first I'd thought it was some type of cloth that he's stolen and planned on selling, but as soon as I saw his lost, unknowing expression he he had as He stumbled into the room, I could tell that something was up. It wasn't until a distinct wailing of a small child filled my ears that I finally realized what was goin on." he chuckled a bit and stood up.

Liesl stood up with him, dropping the opened bottle of mead in her hand. It clattered off the edge of the ground and sank into te pool of water beneath them. Liesl was too entranced by his story to care. She followed Brynjolf to a dresser that was located near Brynjolf's own bed. Brynjolf bent down and produced a medium sized box out from under the dresser. Liesl's eyes widened, she'd lived here her whole life and as a kid growing up around thieves, she'd ultimately explored everywhere. She'd gotten into anything and everything that she could get her little Nordic hands on. Never once had she'd seen this before. Brynjolf noticed her bewildered expression and chuckleld at it while he fished out a small key from his pocket.

"I hid it in a small compartment in the back of the dresser when you were a child. You would always get into everything." he smiled at fond memories as he turned the key and the box clicked open.

"What's in it?" Liesl asked curiously, trying to peer over his shoulder. He moved it from her view, purposely hiding it.

"You were not the only thing that Mercer returned with in his arms." Brynjolf said as he turned to face her and handed her the box, " he thought these were some things that belonged to you and your family. He figured he'd bring them along.. So that one day when you found out..." Brynjolf's voice trailed off as Liesl grasp the box in her hands gently.

Her fingers traced the edge of the lid as she peered inside. Inside the box was a delecatly embroided necklace locket, 2 ebony daggers, a carefully folded piece of brittle paper, some peculier red and black robes, red light armor boots, red fingerless gloves, and a black hood. In the bottom of the box was a neatly folded brown satchel that had splotches of dried blood scattered on it. Liesl looked up at Brynjolf, who was watching her carefully, and gave him a confused and bewildered expression. She pulled each item out one by one. Slowly drawing out the necklace, she unhooked the clipped and carefully place it around her neck. The red rubies on the circular pendant gleamed in the candle light. Next she held up the robe. She'd never seen anything like it. It didn't look like any type of Mage robe. The robes were red and black and seemed to cover everything. The hood was large enough to obscure her entire face. She slipped on the red fingerless gloves. They fit perfectly. They looked a little worn and had some dried blood on them. She marbled at them. Brynjolf just stood there quietly observing her as she picked up the brittle piece of paper.

"What is this stuff?" she asked as she unraveled it.

** '_Iona Moon-Sugar,_**

**_Your needed back at the sanctuary as soon as possible. Forget about your current contract, for I fear your very life is in danger dear sister. I can not say more in case this message should be intercepted. Please come home. _**

**_ -Astrid'_**

_'__Astrid? Who's Astrid?' _Liesl thought as she examined the letter, '.._and who is Iona__?'_

"Where did he get this stuff from?" Liesl said as she turned to Brynjolf, clutching the note close to her body, "And where did he find me?" Her eyes pleaded him.

"A building, just outside Whiterun. It was burning down to the ground when Mercer was passing by. He had been returning to Riften from a job in Markarth. In front of the house was the body of a woman, you were clutched in her arms and the satchel lay not far from her hands... At least that is was Mercer told me when he handed the bag to me and told me to place it in a safe place." Brynjolf told her. He closed his eyes, sighed, and the folded his arms. "Look, Liesl, if you really want answers as to who you are then your going to have to go out there and find it. Mercer and I do not know who the woman was or anything about your blood family. Mercer saw a poor, defenseless child that had no chance unless someone took her under their arm, and that's what we did."

"... You'd let me go to Whiterun? The farthest you and Mercer ever let me go is to Ivarstead." Liesl ask inquisitively. Mercer tended to be overprotective about his adoptive daughter.

"Well you are 22. I'd think you would be old enough to make your own decisions and to be properly able to defend yourself should you need to. I have no objection to it." Brynjolf said and then, while staring into her eyes with seriousness, placed a large hand on her shoulder "This is a journey you need to make Liesl. You'll never be able to stop asking yourself these things if you don't make an effort. Don't let us stop you. Who knows, maybe something interesting with happen?" he said and shrugged. He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Liesl blurted out, the robe clutched closely to her chest. Brynjolf turned around just in time to catch her in his arms in an embrace. "Thank you Daddy" she whispered into his chest. She could feel his smile as he placed a kiss on her head and gave her a tight hug. As soon as the intimate moment was over, Brynjolf headed off to the Ragged Flagon, giving Liesl enough privacy to change into the robes that her mother owned.

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Yay. ch1 is done. this is a little introduction to my Cicero story. :3 I actually have this whole story planned out. I am SO finishing this.

Also, I haven't had time to proof read it, so sorry for grammer mistakes... like that last sentence... and this one for that matter. Oh whatever.


End file.
